Peatland ACTION - Monitoring strategy

Peatland ACTION Monitoring Strategy 2023-2030

The Peatland ACTION Monitoring Strategy sets out an overall aim and three objectives. These are the guiding principles for all our restoration monitoring including NatureScot Peatland ACTION led monitoring projects, partnership projects and funding of external projects.

Introduction

This introductory section provides an overview of peatland restoration in Scotland and the overall purpose and aim of the Monitoring Strategy, along with a brief on the existing monitoring carried out by Peatland ACTION. The first version of the Monitoring Strategy was written and implemented in 2019 – it has been revised to improve the structure in 2023.

Key messages

Peatland ACTION is the main mechanism for large-scale publicly funded peatland restoration in Scotland. This is a key solution to the climate-nature crisis and monitoring the work is the priority of this Monitoring Strategy.
Peatland ACTION requires a structured, strategic approach to our monitoring to ensure and evidence that we are helping meet policy commitments and delivering effective restoration. The Monitoring Strategy was first implemented in 2019 and has been revised to improve the structure in 2023.
Monitoring categories defined in this document include output monitoring - what are we doing? - and outcome monitoring - is it working? Outcome monitoring is the primary focus of the document.

The overall aim of the Monitoring Strategy is to assess and improve the effectiveness of Peatland ACTION’s peatland restoration. There are three objectives.

Objective A:
Establish if the restoration works are resulting in conditions favourable to the recovery of a functioning peatland habitat. To achieve this, NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:

Continue to deploy hydrological monitoring on restoration sites.
Establish a Restoration Monitoring Network for, cost-effective, repeatable, long-term monitoring at a subset of Peatland ACTION sites.
Support the development and practical implementation of remote sensing / Earth observation tools to enable large-scale monitoring.

Objective B:
Establish the effectiveness of individual techniques in specific settings. To achieve this, NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:

Establish monitoring projects to further the knowledge of peatland restoration techniques.
Support applicants to monitor their own novel restoration techniques where appropriate.
Disseminate lessons learnt across the Peatland ACTION delivery partners.

Objective C:

Collate, summarise and contribute to the evidence base associated with the ecosystem services of peatlands. To achieve this, NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:

Communicate relevant research developments across Peatland ACTION.
Coordinate monitoring support and investment with RESAS and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG).
Support peatland research that contributes to the key topics and evidence listed in this document.

We use multiple pathways to achieve the overall aim and three objectives including NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring, partnership projects and funding of external projects. This document also outlines and tracks progress of current and past monitoring projects. There will be a regular review of this Monitoring Strategy to ensure it remains current and accurate.

The overall purpose of the Monitoring Strategy

“Peatland ACTION is the main mechanism for large-scale publicly funded peatland restoration in Scotland. This is a key solution to the climate-nature crisis and monitoring the work is the priority of this Strategy.”

“Peatland ACTION requires a structured, strategic approach to ensure and evidence that we are helping meet policy commitments and delivering effective restoration.”

Policy context

The value of protecting and restoring peatlands in Scotland is recognised in several key documents and government policy. In 2015, Scotland’s National Peatland Plan had an overall vision to encourage "a new focus on positive management, supported by evidence and research, so that these landscapes are revived and healthy - not just in protected areas, but throughout the country". The Scottish Government has committed to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded peatland by 2030 with total funding of £250 million, as set out in the Climate Change Plan 2018–2032 and the Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland. This urgency reflects the Scottish Government’s declaration of a climate emergency with plans to reach net zero by 2045. In addition, peatland restoration will be integral to the approach of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy delivery plans, which intends to bring biodiversity and climate change directly in line and significantly contribute to tackling the twin crises ensuring a nature-rich future for all.

Peatland restoration mechanisms

Peatland restoration in Scotland is achieved through a number of mechanisms besides Peatland ACTION, which is a support mechanism and associated fund for landowners and land managers to enable practical on-the-ground peatland restoration. Other mechanisms are:

Agri-Environment Climate Scheme: a fund to promote land management practices that protect and enhance Scotland’s natural heritage, improve water quality, manage flood risk and mitigate and adapt to climate change.
National Planning Framework 4 intends to:
- Protect carbon-rich soils, restore peatlands and minimise disturbance to soils from development (Policy 5).
- Protect biodiversity, reverse biodiversity loss, deliver positive effects from development and strengthen nature networks (Policy 3).
- Protect, restore and enhance natural assets making best use of nature-based solutions (Policy 4).
Peatland Code: a voluntary certification standard for UK peatland projects wishing to market the climate benefits of peatland restoration.
Private and environmental non-governmental organisation (NGO) green enterprise: an increasing number of private landowners and NGOs are interested in supporting peatland restoration, motivated by a wide range of factors.

Peatland ACTION

Peatland ACTION is a national programme to restore peatlands across Scotland. It is led and funded by Scottish Government and delivered in partnership with NatureScot & supporting agents: the National Park Authorities (Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs), Scottish Water, and Forestry and Land Scotland. Between 2012 and 2023, we have put over 43,000 hectares of degraded peatland on the road to recovery, but this effort needs to accelerate rapidly in the coming years to help address the twin crises of the climate emergency and biodiversity loss. Peatland ACTION contributes to the development of land use policy and technical guidance where appropriate. We also collaborate with the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) to support their wide range of analytical projects and commissioned research on peatlands.

Peatland ACTION monitoring categories

Monitoring categories

Output monitoring: what we are doing?

Outcome monitoring: is it working?

Peatland ACTION requires a structured, strategic approach to ensure and evidence that we are helping meet policy commitments and delivering effective restoration. Monitoring is a word used in a range of contexts, for instance, restoration projects within Peatland ACTION are also subject to compliance monitoring associated with the agreed conditions of grant funding and completion of works. This Monitoring Strategy does not cover all types of monitoring, rather it focuses on two categories of monitoring associated with peatland restoration:

Output monitoring: what are we doing? This measures indicators that reflect the implementation of peatland restoration activities.
Outcome monitoring: is it working? This measures indicators that represent the objectives of peatland restoration, i.e. the effectiveness of the implemented restoration activities.

Output monitoring is vital to track progress of restoration projects, while outcome monitoring assesses the long-term effectiveness of the restoration work. Our output monitoring is outlined in brief below. Outcome monitoring is the focus of this Monitoring Strategy and is essential to assess and refine the restoration of peatlands. Monitoring outcomes is also important to inform good use of public money and communicate results to stakeholders and the public.

Peatland ACTION output monitoring

Peatland ACTION’s output monitoring involves recording information about each restoration project during the application and final report process, including spatial data about all completed restoration activities. We use this spatial data to report hectares put on the road to recovery to the Scottish Government, and NatureScot lead on the verification of hectares for all delivery partners. This supports the monitoring and reporting requirements of the Climate Change Plan 2018–2032 . We have developed specific guidance that details this standardised process.

Spatial data from our restoration projects is also used to report associated Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emission reductions for the UK GHG Inventory. Reporting peatland emissions for the UK GHG Inventory is an example of taking an output-based indicator (area of peatland restored) and converting it into an outcome-based indicator (estimated GHG emissions) using a standardised methodology developed using empirical data. Simple metrics for reporting the estimated impact of restoration on other benefits like biodiversity are not currently available, but we will move towards reporting other outcomes in a similar manner when equivalent methodologies are developed.

Outcome monitoring is covered in the following sections, with details of previous or ongoing monitoring projects provided in Annex 1. Early monitoring projects that preceded the Strategy were appropriate for a smaller scale project and have been continued where appropriate. The scope and targets of peatland restoration through Peatland ACTION have continued to expand rapidly, so we have needed to review and redevelop our monitoring over time.

Aim of the Monitoring Strategy

Overall aim: Assess and improve the effectiveness of Peatland ACTION’s peatland restoration

Our high-level strategic approach to monitoring has an overall aim and three objectives (Figure 1). The overall aim is to assess and improve the effectiveness of Peatland ACTION’s peatland restoration. A significant focus of monitoring will be on assessing effectiveness in terms of peatland hydrology and ecology (Objectives A and B, Figure 1).

Illustration of the Monitoring Strategy’s overall aim and three objectives. — Figure 1 The Monitoring Strategy overall aim and three objectives.

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Figure 1 illustrates the Monitoring Strategy’s overall aim, which is to assess and improve the effectiveness of Peatland ACTION’s peatland restoration, along with the three objectives:

Objective A - Establish if the restoration works are resulting in conditions favourable to the recovery of a functioning peatland habitat.

Objective B - Establish the effectiveness of individual techniques in specific settings.

Objective C - Collate, summarise and contribute to the evidence base associated with the ecosystem services of peatlands.

Implementation, review and communication

This Monitoring Strategy sets out the aim and objectives (what we want to achieve) that are the guiding principles for our decision making around outcome monitoring. The method for achieving these objectives is more flexible. This allows Peatland ACTION to take advantage of future opportunities, such as the development of monitoring techniques using Earth observation (EO) and unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs). We use multiple pathways to achieve the aim and objectives including NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring, partnership projects and funding of external projects. The outcome monitoring budget will be subject to annual review to ensure adequate funds are available to meet the requirements of our objectives.

We will make the results of monitoring and associated datasets publicly available wherever possible to support research and the implementation of effective restoration across the UK and beyond. Sensitive information or temporary data embargos to allow researchers to work-up data for publication occasionally prevent the immediate release of datasets into the public domain. Sharing key outputs with the public and Scottish Government will also be important to raise understanding of the benefits of peatland restoration. A regular review of the Monitoring Strategy will ensure it remains current and accurate.

Objectives

The overall aim is broken down into three main objectives. Objective A looks at overall restoration effectiveness, Objective B focuses on specific techniques and settings, and Objective C looks at the wider benefits of peatland restoration. Active monitoring projects relevant to each objective that are being supported or led by NatureScot are provided in Figure 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4. Further project details, updates and plans are provided in Annex 1.

Objective A: Establish if the restoration works are resulting in conditions favourable to the recovery of a functioning peatland habitat.

NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:

Continue to deploy hydrological monitoring on restoration sites.
Establish a Restoration Monitoring Network for cost-effective, repeatable, long-term monitoring at a subset of Peatland ACTION sites.
Support the development and practical implementation of remote sensing / Earth observation tools to enable large-scale monitoring.

Rationale

Full recovery to a stable, functioning peatland takes decades and may not be possible for heavily degraded sites. In addition, the complexity of peatland systems, historical management impacts and innovative approaches to restoration means that measuring ‘success’ of restoration activities is a difficult task. A degraded peatland may never return to the structure and functions of the original ecosystem, but partial restoration may restore ecosystem functioning to an adequate level to provide certain ecosystem services. In light of this, Peatland ACTION’s view of success is that restoration works set peatlands ‘on the road to recovery’.

Monitoring will capture changes in condition that indicate restoration works have initiated a change in peatland state that will encourage the re-establishment of some ecosystem functions. At the very least, and in the first instance, restoration will seek to prevent further degradation. Several parameters could be measured that would be expected to be altered through restoration including fluctuation of annual water table level, percentage Sphagnum cover, presence of positive and negative indicator species, and change in the extent of bare peat.

Key questions and outcomes

A1: What are the impacts of restoration activities upon indicators of peatland condition such as the water table, vegetation indicators, Sphagnum cover and bare peat?
- Outcome sought: Evidence of hydrological, ecological and physical changes on degraded peatlands post-restoration.

Active projects

Figure 2 provides an overview of the active monitoring projects which are contributing to Objective A.

Objective B: Establish the effectiveness of individual techniques in specific settings

NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:
•   Establish monitoring projects to further the knowledge of peatland restoration techniques.
•   Support applicants to monitor their own novel restoration techniques where appropriate.
•   Disseminate lessons learnt across the Peatland ACTION delivery partners

Rationale

Investigating restoration techniques in specific settings will help inform future selection of restoration activities and drive more efficient, cost-effective interventions. Peatland ACTION’s Technical Compendium describes best practice for peatland restoration techniques based on our shared experience of restoration application and outcomes. We need to build on this knowledge and so monitoring the effectiveness of these techniques is critical. We will develop a programme to monitor the success of the techniques, with a focus on the more technically difficult or novel approaches.

Active projects

Figure 3 provides an overview of the active monitoring projects which are contributing to Objective B

Objective C: Collate, summarise and contribute to the evidence base associated with the ecosystem services of peatlands

NatureScot Peatland ACTION will:

Communicate relevant research developments across Peatland ACTION.
Coordinate monitoring support and investment with RESAS and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG).
Support peatland research that contributes to the key topics and evidence listed in this document.

Rationale

There is much research on peatlands and peatland restoration in Scotland and internationally. We will follow developments and ensure results are communicated across Peatland ACTION to increase awareness and inform adoption of best practice techniques. Research into the multiple benefits of peatland restoration often requires considerable expertise or expensive, intensive monitoring. We will support research into these co-benefits through collaborations and funding as well as helping trial the application of new techniques. This will help improve the evidence base associated with peatland restoration and the development of standard methodologies for monitoring and reporting benefits.

Support for peatland research will be coordinated with RESAS and the Scientific and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) to ensure efficient use of resources. We will also continue to collaborate with universities, research institutes, NGOs and other agencies to identify evidence gaps and help direct our input to external research and monitoring. Monitoring and research supported by Peatland ACTION must include sites where we have funded or anticipate funding on-the-ground peatland restoration activities. We are developing guidance and associated documentation for external requests for monitoring funding which we will launch by 2025. The broad key topics associated with Objective C are listed below.

Key topics and evidence gaps

C1: Water quality – the effect of peatland restoration on downstream water quality and resulting impacts on public drinking water or the ecological status of water bodies.
C2: Water quantity and flood alleviation – the effect of peatland restoration on regulating water flow within catchments and resulting benefits in terms of natural flood management.
C3: Fire risk control – the ability of peatland restoration to reduce wildfire risk and the management of risk on degraded sites.
C4: Biodiversity – the effect of peatland restoration on biodiversity and the development of key indicators to measure peatland biodiversity.
C5: Social and economic outcomes – the role of Peatland ACTION in supporting rural jobs and skills development; the social and economic benefits resulting from restored peatlands.
C6: Greenhouse gas (GHG) storage and sequestration – the effect of restoration in reducing GHG emissions from degraded peatlands and supporting long-term carbon sequestration.

Active projects

Figure 4 provides an overview of the active monitoring projects which are contributing to Objective C

Annexes

Annex 1: Monitoring Strategy project updates

We will update this section regularly with details of monitoring we have started, continued or completed. In addition, actions for the coming financial year are outlined. References to any technical reporting or interpretation of results will be provided. A map of the spread of NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring projects is shown in Figure 5.

2021 - 2023

We completed a draft document outlining plans to develop the Restoration Monitoring Network. We gathered internal and external feedback on the plans and have piloted the methods on a range of sites. The feedback and pilot season have informed the development of a revised document produced and refined in 2023/24. We aim to start monitoring the first suite of sites in summer 2023.
Repeat vegetation surveys were completed at 13 sites that had baseline surveys in 2014/15. The resulting reports (2014/15 surveys, 2021 surveys) have been published alongside the datasets. The findings will also contribute to future monitoring within the Restoration Monitoring Network.
Maintenance of the existing Peatland ACTION hydrological monitoring regime to ensure continued operation of the equipment along with a data download for two years of measurements was completed in 2022. In addition, final repairs to the Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve hydrological monitoring equipment were completed. Hydrological monitoring data has been processed and made publicly available. Data has been provided directly to the James Hutton Institute (JHI) for their work on the RESAS Strategic Research Programme (SRP) CentrePeat.
A comprehensive review of the existing hydrological data collated by Peatland ACTION was commissioned in 2022/23. This will review the response of water table dynamics on the restored sites and will inform effective and efficient ongoing hydrological monitoring as part of the Restoration Monitoring Network.
The Internet of Things (IoT) hydrological monitoring trial phase led by Scottish Government and implemented by FarrPoint was completed between 2021 and 2023. NatureScot Peatland ACTION formally adopted the equipment in 2023 and continues to run the IoT network to gather baseline data prior to restoration. The loT data is accessible via an online dashboard and the hope is to continue data collection post restoration. This is an opportunity to test a new approach to hydrological monitoring in rural locations.
A review of high-resolution remote sensing methods to monitor the effectiveness of peatland restoration on actively eroding blanket bogs was commissioned and completed in 2022/23. This includes data captured using UAV, manned aerial vehicles and high-resolution satellites. The review will be published and will be used to assess the applicability of such methods and the potential for integration on a sample of sites within the Restoration Monitoring Network.
We have produced and published guidance on a common standard for UAV deployment and data products to enable effective use. This is the first step towards more extensive use of UAVs for both the capture of promotional material and in support of monitoring. The guidance is not entirely prescriptive as an adaptive approach is necessary to meet individual project requirements. The guidance provides examples of UAV platforms and sensors, and software for planning and processing.
Results from 11 focus sites for the ‘bog breathing’ project were published in NatureScot Research Report 1269. This uses Earth observation (EO) measurements of peatland surface motion to assess peatland condition. The report yielded a lot of interest from other environmental agencies and companies, as well as the press. A new technique (Apsis) was applied and increased resolution (30m), which allowed double-blind testing to take place in 2022/23. NatureScot, along with project partners, are looking into upscaling the technique for wider assessment of temporal change of peatland condition across more Peatland ACTION sites.
We entered an ongoing partnership project with the University of Stirling, which forms the peatlands use-case of the Forth-ERA programme. This project will develop a toolkit for monitoring the success of peatland restoration using remote sensing. It will develop, test and apply methods by combining data from wireless sensor networks and satellite-based remote sensing, using a series of demonstration sites in the Forth catchment. The data will be made available in near real-time through a bespoke web-based platform. The project includes installation of an eddy covariance greenhouse gas flux tower (hereafter called GHG flux towers) at Flanders Moss National Nature Reserve.
The purchase of four GHG flux towers was funded in 2019/20 in a joint effort with the James Hutton Institute (JHI), UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), Crichton Carbon Centre (CCC) and the National Peatland Research and Monitoring Group (NPRMG now replaced by STAG). The aim is to fill some of the knowledge gaps that surround restoration and GHG (carbon dioxide and methane) emissions in Scotland. The delayed installation of the JHI-managed GHG flux towers was completed in 2021/22 and data capture will now be ongoing. We commissioned a technical specification to enable installation of the CCC/UKCEH-managed forestry GHG flux tower, which is now planned for 2023/24. These flux towers form part of the Sco2Flux network of GHG monitoring towers.
We have funded the installation of an additional GHG flux tower to be operated by UKCEH at a raised bog in Midlothian. This will provide measurements at this site before, during and after restoration, to determine changes in GHG emissions resulting from restoration. This will be further supported by comparison with long-term GHG flux tower data from the nearby UKCEH Auchencorth Moss research facility. This flux tower is affiliated with the Sco2Flux network.
Support for the long-term monitoring work into forest-to-bog restoration techniques at the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) Forsinard Flows nature reserve was continued.
Additional equipment and resource were provided to the Galloway Fisheries Trust to continue their water quality monitoring project.
Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) continue to process and update the database of peatland restoration costs using Peatland ACTION’s application data.

Figure 5 Peatland ACTION NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring sites using hydrological data loggers, vegetation sampling and unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs). — Figure 5 Ordinance Survey map of Scotland showing the locations of NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring sites to date.

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Figure 5 Ordinance Survey map of Scotland showing the locations of NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring sites to date.
The monitoring techniques listed on the map include; Colour infrared image capture, Red Green Blue image capture, Colour infrared/Red Green Blue image capture, Vegetation sampling 2014/2015, vegetation sampling 2014/2015 and 2021, water table depth loggers, rain gauges and any combination.

Abbreviations for unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAV) captured imagery: CIR – Colour Infrared, RGB – Red Green Blue.

Peatland ACTION monitoring projects to date

Restoration Monitoring Network (RMN)

Objective:

A - To establish if the restoration works are resulting in conditions favourable to the recovery of a functioning peatland habitat.

Lead organisation:

NatureScot

Project details and progress update

Timescales: Currently in development with the aim of implementation from 2023/24 onwards.

2022/23: The consultation on the draft documentation was undertaken along with a pilot study to refine field protocols.

2021/22: Investigation of the potential study design, sampling approach and methodologies was carried out to begin drafting documentation and field protocols.

2020/21: Work focused on establishing the Peatland ACTION monitoring priorities to provide direction to the development of future NatureScot Peatland ACTION monitoring work.

Peatland ACTION input for 2023/2024

Finalise documentation.
Establish governance structure.
Undertake baseline surveys of the first suite of RMN sites.

Peatland ACTION vegetation sampling

Objective

A - To establish if the restoration works are resulting in conditions favourable to the recovery of a functioning peatland habitat.

Lead Organisation

NatureScot

Timescale: Data capture complete. Reports published in 2022/23.

2021/22: In the summer of 2021 repeat vegetation surveys were completed on 13 sites at which baseline surveys had been undertaken in 2014/15. This dataset and the subsequent report will help inform the development and implementation of the Restoration Monitoring Network.

2014/15: Vegetation monitoring at 17 sites (Figure 5) was commissioned in 2014/15 to establish site conditions immediately after restoration activities. Pre-restoration baseline monitoring was not possible but some controls (degraded but unrestored sites) and reference (good quality bog considered typical of the area) sites were established.

Peatland ACTION input for 2023/2024

• Use outputs and outcomes to inform Restoration Monitoring Network development.

Peatland ACTION hydrological monitoring

Maintain equipment and download data as appropriate.
Review hydrological monitoring as part of Peatland ACTION and decide on how to move forward.

A comprehensive review of Peatland ACTION hydrology data

Review options appraisal report for hydrological monitoring as part of Peatland ACTION and decide on how to move forward.

Peat condition assessments

Continue to regularly publish as open data.
Consider including assessment of condition as part of Restoration Monitoring Network.

Multispectral imagery capture, Peatland ACTION restoration sites

None – complete.

Tracking bare peat change

Publish report on use of high-resolution remote sensing methods on actively eroding blanket bogs.
Review applicability of methods for integration into the RMN.

Using peat surface motion (bog breathing) to monitor Peatland ACTION sites

Support the practical application of the tools developed.
Publish associated research reports.

Developing a toolkit for monitoring the success of peatland restoration projects using remote sensing (“Forth ERA”)

Input to co-design of online data visualisation platform.

Publish final report on NatureScot website.

RSPB Forsinard peatland restoration monitoring

None

The effects of peatland restoration by deforestation on water quality (Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC), nutrient transport) - Torrachilty and Lochar Mosses

None

Monitoring of the water quality and discharge rates associated with restoration works at the Abernethy.

Review RSPB progress update and support as required.

Abernethy upland peatland drone durveys 2019

None - complete

Monitoring recovery of bog communities in Flow Country after wild fires

None – complete

Commission of Inquiry on Peatlands

Timescale: Complete

2017/18: Peatland ACTION contributed to the funding required to produce two technical reports which are published;

Review biodiversity paper to help inform Restoration Monitoring Network development.

The cost of peatland restoration in Scotland

Regularly provide project data to SRUC to keep database up to date.

Greenhouse gas monitoring of Peatland ACTION restoration sites (JHI)

Data capture ongoing

Forestry GHG flux tower CCC/UKCEH/NatureScot

Manage contract for installation of the tower.
Continued collaboration with project partners.

Hare Moss - Installation of an eddy covariance tower for monitoring of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from a peatland before, during and after restoration

Ensure installation completed and receive first year of data.

Strategic Research Programme (SRP) ‘CentrePeat’

• Provide input and strategic direction as required.

Greenhouse gas monitoring equipment for peatland restoration

None - Data capture ongoing.

Using remote sensing to inform restoration management

None – complete.

Raising awareness of the value of stores of organic carbon in peat soils

None – complete.

Peatland ACTION - Monitoring strategy